The Land Before Time: How It Could Have Been Part 3
by Vitani825
Summary: Five years passed since part 2; just like the first two parts; characters deaths may occur and more characters will be introduced. Hurdles will be thrown in the character's way as well. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Land Before Time characters. Only my OC's.**

 **A/N: Part three of my series has started.**

A new beginning has started for the herd; Maya and Zack have been married for a few years; so have Dinah and Alfred. Both couples are expecting some hatchlings. Maya is carrying at least three eggs; while Dinah is only carrying two. Sienna and Sadie are happy about becoming big sisters. However, there was something to be sad about; Bron's mother Edna was dying of a disease that has no cure. Even though she's only one hundred and ten; she looks like she's two hundred. Bron stood by his mother and lowered his head to her level.

"I'm gonna miss you, Mother," Bron said, nuzzling her.

Edna smiled weakly.

"I will miss you all too," Edna replied, while coughing.

Bron smiled, even though a few tears rolled down his cheeks.

"For now; I must leave you; there's no time for the others to say goodbye; tell the others how much I'll miss them," Edna replied.

"I will, Mother; hope to see you again someday," Bron choked out.

After a moment, Edna drew her last breath and closed her eyes for the last time. Moments later, Bron headed over to the Feeding Grounds; however, his appetite was gone since he witnessed the death of a family member.

"Hey, everybody; you know how Mother has been very ill?" Bron asked.

Just then, Topsy spoke up.

"Oh no; was it painful?" Topsy asked.

Bron shook his head.

"She went to sleep after saying goodbye; but, she's never gonna wake up; but, she did tell me how much she'll miss us," Bron explained.

Jenna was the next one to shed tears. She may not have liked Edna very much; but, she was still gonna miss her.

"I'm very sorry for your loss," Jenna told her ex-husband.

"Thank you; Mother and I may not have always gotten along; but, I still loved her," Bron told them.

Grandpa Longneck has grown completely silent; he had mixed feelings about Edna's death. Sure, she was a bully to him in his young days; however, he would still miss her.

"Dad; say something," Jenna urged him on.

"At least Edna isn't in pain anymore; she will be missed," Grandpa commented.

Otto smiled at him.

"She really was something; even though you were just an eight year old kid when you met her and she pushed you into a mud puddle; and that she teased you for weeks since you told on her to your mother," Otto recalled, fondly.

"From what I can recall, Dad told me; "nobody likes a tattletale, Kenneth"; it really did hurt my feelings when Edna pushed me," Grandpa explained.

Topsy let out a chuckle.

"Not funny," Grandpa sneered.

"Sorry; I couldn't help it," Topsy confessed.

Grandpa nodded.

After that ugly business was behind them, they all started planning Edna's funeral.


	2. Chapter 2

Things have been really quiet in the Great Valley; Edna's death was hard on the herd. However, one individual has been hit the hardest; her now widowed mate Otto. The old longneck stared into the watering hole at the Thundering Falls; he didn't even see Topsy come up to greet him.

"Still bummed about Edna's death?" Topsy asked.

Otto nodded and closed his eyes.

"I know how you feel; you're looking at a guy who's outlived two wives; my first wife Elaine died when Cera was just a little girl; and then, Tria died while Cera was expecting some hatchlings," Topsy explained.

Otto looked over at Topsy.

"How did you handle your wive's deaths?" Otto wondered.

"After Elaine's death; I stopped eating and drinking for two weeks straight; in fact; Mr. Thicknose shared some of the tragedies of his past to get me out of my funk; and when Tria died, I was devastated; Kenneth did stay behind to comfort me; my own father never did that for me," Topsy explained.

"You mean, your father never offered you a shoulder to cry on?" Otto asked.

"Are you kidding? "Emotions are for females" he would say," Topsy sneered.

Otto sighed.

"I sure would hate for my dad to be like that," Otto stated.

Topsy nodded.

By the end of the day, the preparations for Edna's funeral have been finished. They all stood at a grave site where a few other of the herd members have been laid to rest. The hole was already made and Edna's body was in there and covered with leaves. Once everyone got a chance to say a few words, the hole was filled up with dirt; and Otto decorated the dirt with some purple flowers. He smiled sadly; his wife may have been in pain; but, she was now at peace. Topsy walked up to the grieving longneck.

"Otto; I just want to let you know; I'm sure that Edna has met up with the deceased members of this herd; and anyone of her family that has died ages ago," Topsy said.

Just then, Otto wrapped his neck around Topsy. The threehorn wasn't expecting Otto to embrace him; but, he felt good about what he said to him. Soon enough, Otto faced him again.

"I know you and Edna didn't get along very well; but, I appreciate what you said; thank you," Otto explained.

Topsy smiled at the thought of comforting a good friend.


	3. Chapter 3

Many months have passed since Edna's death; however, Maya and Dinah have laid their eggs. It would only be a month until their eggs would be ready to hatch. Maya and Zack are lying down at their nest and admiring their eggs.

"Your mom would be so proud of you," Maya commented.

"Yes she would; and I'm certain your parents have told you the same thing," Zack responded.

Maya nodded.

Soon enough, Littlefoot and Cera came by to see their daughter and son-in-law.

"So; have you thought of any names for the hatchlings yet?" Cera wondered.

"Not yet, Mom; maybe once the eggs start to hatch and I get a good look at them," Maya answered.

"Yeah, Cera; be patient," Littlefoot teased her.

Just then, a distressed roar was heard. It came from Topsy's nest; soon enough, the herd was crowding around Topsy's mother Theresa. The threehorn has been unwell for the last few days; and has dismissed her condition as being tired. However, Topsy knew she was trying to protect the herd.

"Mother; why didn't you tell us you were sick? We would have been able to help you," Topsy responded.

Theresa coughed nonstop; lots of blood came up as she did; and food among other things. The sight of the blood made Topsy feel like throwing up himself; he swallowed hard and covered his mouth with his right forepaw. He uncovered his mouth while taking deep breaths; then, he lowered himself to the ground in case he was about to collapse. Just then, Mr. Thicknose noticed Topsy's strange behavior.

"You're not getting sick, too, are you?" Mr. Thicknose wondered as he laid a forepaw on Topsy's head.

"Thanks for your concern, Thicknose; but, I do not have a fever; I just get sickened at the sight of blood," Topsy said, as he gently removed Mr. Thicknose's paw away from his head.

"It's true; ever since he was a boy; whenever someone cut themselves; even a bit of blood-"

"Yuck! Kenneth; that's enough; could you stop talking about this before I puke?" Topsy sneered.

"I'll stop," Grandpa stated.

Topsy nodded.

"Good; because I **REALLY** , **REALLY DON'T** want to puke right now; especially after just having a big breakfast," Topsy said.

The others nodded. They could see that Topsy was already worried about his mother. Soon enough, Theresa spoke up. She didn't have a lot of time since she was dying of internal bleeding.

"Everyone; I have something to say; this herd means so much to me; I wish I could be around longer; but, sadly, my time has come to an end-"

Theresa couldn't even finish her speech; she just dropped dead. Her family didn't even get a last I love you out of her; however, they knew how much she loved them. The herd was in complete shock; but, no one was as shocked as Topsy. In fact, he ran off in the direction of the Sheltering Grass.

"I'm gonna follow him; to make sure he won't kill himself; I know how much Theresa meant to him; and having her drop dead like that must have been a hard blow," Bron said.

"Yeah; this blows," Kosh remarked.

"Now's not a good time, Kosh; why don't you make your mouth useful and shove it; with sweet bubbles I mean; so that way you'll be too busy to talk," Grandpa snarled.

Kosh wandered off and Bron left to go find Topsy. Everyone heard Grandpa's snarky comment to Kosh; but, it was necessary since Kosh was acting inappropriately especially since Theresa just died.


	4. Chapter 4

Meanwhile, Topsy was in the Sheltering Grass; he had completely broken down. Bron had heard him crying from across the Sinking Sand. He carefully made his way onto the rocks and stuck his head into the grass. Then, he gently nudged Topsy's side with his nose; that prompted the threehorn to look up at his friend with tears in his eyes.

"What do you want?" Topsy asked.

Bron sighed.

"Mind if I come in?" Bron asked.

"You can if you want; get comfortable," Topsy answered.

Bron settled into the Sheltering Grass across from Topsy.

"I know how you feel; losing a parent is one of the hardest things anyone must go through; age doesn't matter in that sense," Bron replied.

Topsy nodded as more tears streamed down his face. He wiped the tears with his paw as more kept on coming.

"I miss her already; I guess the speech she started was her way of saying how much she loved us and that the herd meant a lot to her; it's too bad she dropped dead like that," Topsy responded.

Bron nodded.

Soon enough, the two males shared an embrace; Bron truly understood what Topsy was going through since he lost his mother many months before. Moments later, they broke apart from the embrace.

"Thanks; I really needed that," Topsy admitted.

"Me too, actually; I'm sorry for your loss; well; it was more everyone's loss; this herd is like one big family," Bron responded.

Topsy nodded and managed to smile.

After a while, they went back to Theresa's final resting place; even though, it's at Topsy's nest.

"Sorry I ran off like that; it's just that-"

"You don't need to explain; we know that Mother meant a lot to you; we loved her too," Celine told him.

Rita nodded in agreement.

Topsy smiled at his sisters and walked up to nuzzle them. Soon enough, everything was getting a bit better. All they had to do now was plan Theresa's funeral.


	5. Chapter 5

Everyone was beginning to feel sad for Topsy and his family; especially for Sally; since parents are technically supposed to die before their offspring. Theresa is the second daughter who has predeceased her; and that has hit the one hundred and twenty one year old threehorn like a clubtail herd trampling the crap out of her. Topsy set aside his own sadness and grief to be there for his only living grandparent. Sally stood off to the side and thought about the happy times she had with Theresa when she was still alive. Topsy wandered up to Sally.

"I think my best memory of your mother is the day she gave me the best grandchildren ever; it's too bad that not all of you are alive," Sally explained.

"I know; Trike died an early death at just six years old; but, at least Mother will meet up with him again after seventy five years," Topsy said.

Sally managed a small smile.

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up; it's gonna be so different without your mother around for me to get on her nerves; after all what's a mother for?" Sally wondered.

"Yeah, really; although, she never got on my nerves; it was always Rita; and Edna; whoa; I gotta tell you, Grandma; it took all the strength I had to keep from ramming that big, fat butt of hers whenever she called me names," Topsy responded.

Sally chuckled.

"And yet you never rammed her; your mother taught you and your siblings well; turn the other cheek she might say; or treat others the way they would like to be treated; even though some of them can be as stubborn as Sinking Sand," Sally replied.

"Yeah; are you gonna be okay now?" Topsy wondered.

Sally shrugged.

"I guess so; come on; let's go help plan the funeral," Sally answered.

Soon enough, the whole herd got back to planning the funeral.


	6. Chapter 6

Once the arrangements have been made, a hole was dug at the resting place for the deceased; Theresa's body was already placed in the hole and covered with leaves. Mr. Thicknose stepped up next to the hole and began to speak. Soon enough, everyone started getting all teary eyed; even the tough guys of the herd. Once the funeral was over, the hole was filled up; then, everyone but Sally left the area; but, not without saying sorry for your loss.

Later that day, Maya and Zack were lying around and looking at their eggs.

"Don't worry you guys; we promise that you'll grow up with both parents; we love you very much," Maya told them.

Zack chuckled.

"Oh, Maya; they can't hear you," Zack responded.

"I know that, doofus; I was just kidding around; but, I really do love the fact that we're gonna be parents one of these days," Maya stated.

Zack smiled.

One month later, Maya and Zack's eggs started hatching. The herd surrounded Maya and Zack, who are watching the miracle. Soon enough, three hatchlings made it into the world. All of them are female; the one hatchling has the body of a threehorn, Maya's neck and head; and the fin on her neck like Zack. She was a unique mix of both her parents and grandmother. Her scales are colored lavender; with her left eye colored crimson and the right eye colored emerald green. Her name is Skye. The second girl looks like her dad; only, her scales are black; the fin is colored light grey like her underbelly and muzzle and she has dark blue eyes; her name is Gina and the third girl looks like her mom; only her scales are blue and she has crimson eyes; and her name is Tara.

Just then, Amber came up with Coco and Xavier.

"Wow, Maya; they are adorable," Amber commented.

Maya smiled at the older female.

"Yes they are," Maya stated.

The hatchlings looked up at their large family and squeaked happily. After a while, the herd along with Maya and Zack's newly hatched children went over to see the hatching of Dinah and Alfred's eggs. Soon enough, two pure white threehorn females came out. Both of them have teal eyes just like their mother; however, one of them is smaller than the other. The bigger one is named Lila and the smaller one is named Leah. Alfred and Dinah nuzzled each other; Sadie and Sienna welcomed their new half-sisters with open arms; as well as their newly hatched cousins.

"Look at them; such beautiful little girls," Sadie replied.

"Awwww; thanks girls," Maya said.

Soon enough, the entire herd has started bonding with the hatchlings.


	7. Chapter 7

Becoming a new mother has been a wonderful experience for Maya. Sure, it was tiring; but, she found it to be very rewarding. Zack is also loving the experience of parenthood; just watching the little ones sleep is enough to make their hearts melt; it was just too adorable to resist.

"Look at our little ones, Maya; I can't believe these girls are really ours," Zack sighed happily.

"I wonder if my parents thought the same about me and my siblings when we first arrived in the world," Maya responded.

"No doubt; it doesn't seem real to me yet; I guess being a first time parent can do that to you," Zack replied.

Soon enough, Topsy came by to see Maya and Zack and the hatchlings.

"Hey you two; parenthood looks good on you; you'll be such great parents," Topsy replied.

"Awww; thanks, Grandpa," Maya commented.

"Anytime, kiddo," Topsy said.

Meanwhile, Littlefoot and Cera were hanging with their old gang at the Tall Trees.

"So; how are you guys doing?" Ducky asked.

"Fine; we haven't seen the hatchlings very much; Maya and Zack are kind of overprotective; but, me and Cera were overprotective of Maya and her siblings when they were hatchlings," Littlefoot explained.

"We understand," Petrie stated.

Back at the nest, Topsy was still talking to Maya and Zack.

"So; I see that you're adjusting to this parenting thing pretty fast," Topsy responded.

"Yes we are; it's exciting; but, it still doesn't feel real; it's like a dream come true," Zack explained.

"Well; it is your first time being parents; and these kids will be depending on you for everything; you have a long journey ahead in parenthood; I wonder what the kids will be like as teenagers," Topsy explained.

"Let them enjoy being babies for now; we have a long time before they even get to be big kids," Maya said.

The three grown ups shared a chuckle.

"I better get going; I haven't seen Dinah in a while," Topsy told them.

Maya and Zack said goodbye to the elder as he walked away.

Meanwhile, Jenna was hanging out with her girlfriends at Tria's old mud pool.

"It sure feels weird without Tria here," Jenna pointed out.

"Yeah; after all, this was her special getaway; but, I don't think she'd mind if we hang out here," Tori stated.

"Girls; if Tria didn't show us this mud pool years ago; do you think she'd let us use it?" Ariel asked.

"You got a point, Ariel," Jenna said.

Soon enough, the other three noticed that Celine and Rita were quiet.

"You two haven't said much of anything; is something bothering you?" Jenna wondered.

"When you mentioned Tria; we remember the day that she died; it's still hard to think about," Rita said.

Celine nodded in agreement.

"It's been twenty seven years; I'm sure that Topsy is over it," Ariel replied.

"It's not just about Tria; our mother has been dead for about a month; and the wounds are still fresh in our hearts," Celine said.

The other girls nodded.

"We know you miss your mom; we all miss her," Jenna stated.

Ariel and Tori nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, Topsy was talking with Dinah at her nest.

"Are you still getting over your mom's death?" Dinah asked.

"Yeah; it still hurts; when I was growing up, I felt like I only had one parent; it only got worse when my identical twin brother died," Topsy admitted.

Dinah sighed sadly. This made her glad that both her parents love her and Dana equally.

"I'm sorry that your childhood was rough; you seemed like you were a nice kid who didn't deserve all that abuse," Dinah claimed.

Topsy smiled and nuzzled Dinah.

"Thank you," Topsy stated.

Dinah smiled as she and Topsy shared a loving nuzzle.


	8. Chapter 8

Over the next few years, the hatchlings have grown into adventurous five year olds. When they were two; their oldest cousin Xavier found himself a mate; she is the same type of longneck he is; only her scales are bright pink with baby pink underbelly and muzzle and grey eyes. Her name is Kailey; she is only three years younger than Littlefoot; which didn't bother Xavier since he was already a grown up. Their daughters Amy and Fiona; who look exactly like him; except that Fiona has her mom's eyes and Amy has her dad's eyes. Amy and Fiona are only three; but, they are almost the same size as Skye, Gina and Tara. Kailey was seen bonding with Xavier and the twins at their nest.

"You know, Kailey; I never figured you to be six years older than me; you look so young," Xavier said.

Kailey chuckled.

"Awwww; thanks," Kailey stated before kissing him on the cheek.

Xavier blushed while covering his left cheek with his paw.

Just then, Amy and Fiona looked up at their parents.

"Ewww; kissy face; yuck," they exclaimed in unison.

Xavier chuckled.

"Just wait until you two grow up and find mates of your own," Xavier retorted.

The twins just laughed and nuzzled their parents.

Meanwhile, Maya and Zack's triplets were hanging out with their cousins Lila and Leah.

"Are you two having a good time today?" Skye asked.

"Not especially; lots of kids won't let us play with them since me and Lila are albinos," Leah claimed.

"That's not fair; but, then again, look at me; I don't look like just my dad or mom," Skye replied.

"You're a unique mix between Maya, Zack and Auntie Cera," Leah responded.

Skye nodded.

"You're right; there's nothing wrong with being unique," Skye responded.

Over at the Thundering Falls, Tyrus was having trouble walking. Due to his advanced age of one hundred and forty six; he had hip problems; just getting up after a night of lying down took its toll on the old threehorn. However, he didn't let that stop him from living. Just then, Topsy came by to talk to him.

"Hey there, Gramps; you look like you've seen better days," Topsy said.

Tyrus chuckled.

"Oh; you'll understand how I feel when you get to be my age; if I live that long to see it," Tyrus responded.

Topsy nodded.

"Don't worry; at least you got to see me become a great-grandfather; which makes you a great-great-great-great grandfather; that's quite a mouthful," Topsy pointed out.

"Oh you; I don't think I have twenty years left in me; maybe I have at least ten," Tyrus stated.

Topsy nodded.

"Mother had at least one hundred years left if she didn't die five years ago; I still miss her," Topsy admitted.

Tyrus sighed.

"I do too; she was such a lovely person; just like your grandmother," Tyrus claimed.

Topsy sighed.

"I cried more than Grandma did and she went through the egg laying and hatching with her," Topsy explained.

"Yeah; there's no denying that you were a Mama's Boy," Tyrus said with a chuckle.

Topsy chuckled.

"Yeah; I really loved her; still do, very much," Topsy replied.

Tyrus smiled. He may have outlived lots of his family; but, there was still lots of family who would outlive him. Tyrus got himself a quick drink of water before saying his goodbyes to Topsy and headed back to the nest for sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

On his way to Grandma and Grandpa Longneck's nest, Topsy remembered that Tyrus had told him that he wasn't getting any younger and his joints were killing him most of the time. Soon enough, he saw the elderly couple eating from a tree and wandered over to them. They stopped eating after seeing that Topsy had arrived.

"Hey you two; we need to talk," Topsy commented.

Grandma and Grandpa lowered themselves to the ground and faced Topsy.

"Is everything okay, dear? You seem upset," Grandma pointed out.

Topsy sighed.

"Ever since Mother died five years ago; my great-grandpa has really aged; he looks twenty years older than his actual age; I think he's losing the will to live; plus, he has trouble just getting up in the morning; that's to be expected when you're in your one hundred and forties; you'll understand once you get to be in his age range," Topsy explained.

Grandpa sighed. He hasn't seen Topsy look so down since Theresa died.

"How's your grandmother doing these days?" Grandpa wondered.

"She's okay; I'm grateful for that," Topsy answered.

Grandpa nodded.

Meanwhile, Littlefoot and Cera were wandering around and met up with Maya and Zack.

"Hey you two; how's the kids?" Littlefoot asked.

"Just fine, Dad; Lila and Leah were hanging out with them a while ago," Maya answered.

Littlefoot smiled.

"By the way; I was wandering around and noticed that your father-in-law was talking to your mom's parents; he seemed to be really upset about something," Zack explained.

"Oh; it's about his great-grandpa Tyrus; he thinks he's losing the will to live," Littlefoot responded.

Zack nodded.

Back at Topsy's nest, Tyrus was in a very deep sleep. He felt like nothing could go wrong; however, his time was short. After about an hour, Tyrus' body started failing him. His heart was slowing down; the Great Beyond was calling for him; he would be reunited with the family members who died years ago. By the time the herd got to him, he was already dead. He had died peacefully in his sleep; that's the only way anybody should die. Turys' family walked up to him; Topsy was hit the hardest; after his grandfather died, Tyrus had stepped in to be a father figure to him.

"Well; at least you weren't in pain," Topsy whispered to him.

He felt his eyes filling with tears; soon enough, the ghost of Tyrus showed up.

"Please don't cry for me; I'm not in pain anymore and have reunited with the family members I lost years ago; this herd meant so much to me; but, it was my time; hope to see you all on the other side some day," Tyrus stated before disappearing.

Topsy turned back to the dead body for a moment before running off towards the Great Wall. Grandpa decided to go after him to make sure he wasn't going to jump. Just as Grandpa got to the Great Wall, Topsy just jumped over the edge. However, Grandpa made it in time to grab him by the tail and pull him to safety up on the ledge. Both elderly males panted while lying down; it was at that moment when Grandpa's expression nearly scared the crap out of him. Topsy was about to say something; then, Grandpa slapped him hard in the face with his tail.

"What...were you...THINKING?! I realize that Tyrus' death was hard on you; but, jumping over the Great Wall was the stupidest thing you ever done! Imagine what would have happened if I didn't get to you in time; we would have had to hold a memorial for two herd members in one day!" Grandpa scolded.

For the first time in his life; Topsy was speechless. He suddenly realized he could have given the older male a heart attack by doing this stunt; but, the wounds from Tyrus dying of old age was still fresh in his heart. Grandpa had felt bad for hitting Topsy; but, he had lost his temper and the fact that he was scared that Topsy could have gotten himself killed.

"Kenneth; I uh-"

"Shut up, I'm talking," Grandpa snarled.

Topsy sighed.

"I don't ever want to see you pulling a stunt like that again! You have a whole herd who cares about you; attempting to kill yourself was uncalled for," Grandpa said.

By the end of the discussion, both males had tears in their eyes.

"I'm sorry...I had...no idea...how...you felt...about...me; it's just that..." Topsy couldn't finish his sentence due to his heavy crying.

Grandpa sighed.

"I may have went overboard by hitting you; it sent me over the edge after seeing you trying to kill yourself; in the back of my mind; I guess I didn't think the scolding would have been enough to scare you from another suicide attempt; and for that, I'm sorry I hit you," Grandpa confessed.

Topsy nodded.

"I...forgive...you," Topsy claimed.

"And I forgive you for attempting suicide; next time, remember that talking things out is better than trying to kill yourself," Grandpa added.

Topsy nodded.

Soon enough, both males shared an embrace before heading back to the herd. Things will be rough for a while.

 **A/N: Topsy has totally lost it; luckily he has friends and family to help him in his time of need.**


	10. Chapter 10

Everyone in the herd had been told that Topsy tried to commit suicide. It was heartbreaking for all of them; especially his closest friends and family. Some of them have gotten angry at him for jumping over the Great Wall; however, they were relieved that he didn't die. Sally walked over to Topsy and got up in his face. He had never seen her this angry before in his life; the look on her face sent chills up his spine.

"How could you? Attempting suicide? If you ever do this again and you were saved; I'm gonna kill you!" Sally scolded.

"You don't understand; all your life, you had a father who cared about you; I didn't; my own dad treated me like crap; I've lost two father-figures in my life; first, it was Grandpa, then, it was your dad," Topsy argued.

Sally thought back to Topsy's childhood after her other grandson died; her own son-in-law was a tyrant; and treated Topsy like crap. It was at that moment when Sally bowed her head in shame.

"I'm sorry for getting so angry; it's just that you're my only grandson; and it hasn't been that long since Dad died; the thought of kosing you in the same day made me very scared; I love you very much," Sally explained.

Her expression went from anger to sadness.

Soon enough, the two threehorns nuzzled each other.

"That is just sick, Sally; first you yell at him; now you forgive his foolish stunt; just what kind of threehorn are you?" Kosh snarled.

"The kind that's not an asshole," Sally retorted.

Kosh growled; with his bopper at the ready; he was about to hit Sally; but, Topsy got in the way and took the bopper to the side of his face. Topsy grabbed his cheek in pain and let out a low growl.

"Are you all right? Thanks for taking the hit for me; but, you didn't have to do that," Sally told him.

"Oh; but, I did; I didn't want you to get seriously hurt," Topsy stated.

Sally smiled. However, Kosh was still unimpressed.

"You better hope the next suicide attempt actually kills you," Kosh said in a low voice.

After that encounter, Kosh walked off to his nest.

"What an asshole," Topsy sneered.

Everyone all nodded in agreement. Soon enough, they all prepared for Tyrus' funeral. Just like with the other funerals, Tyrus was placed in a hole surrounded by the other deceased members of the herd. Mr. Thicknose started the ceremony like he usually does. Only this funeral was particularly sadder than normal; it was because of Topsy's suicide attempt. After the funeral was done, the hole that Tyrus was in was filled up with dirt. Soon enough, the herd members went back to their respective nests.


	11. Chapter 11

A few months have passed since the death of Topsy's great-grandpa Tyrus. The memory of him looking fine before going to sleep still left an empty spot in his heart. Every once in a while, he would go pay his respects at the grave; after a moment, he looked away as a few tears rolled down his face. He covered his eyes with his paw. Soon enough, he managed to regain his composure and left the grave. Once he got to the Feeding grounds, the other members of the herd looked over at him.

"What are you doing here?" Kosh asked.

"This is the Feeding Grounds, Kosh; last time I checked; it was a common gathering place for the herd," Topsy retorted.

"Not for you; now, I don't want you here; how about you do us all a favor and kill yourself," Kosh threatened.

"What will you do if I don't? You gonna kill me?" Topsy asked.

Just as Topsy and Kosh were about to duke it out, Grandpa intervened by sticking his paw between the two of them.

"Fighting's not the way to solve anything; Kosh, Topsy already pulled that stunt; it's just lucky that I saved him," Grandpa snarled.

"That's just like you, Kenny; sticking up for your boyfriend," Kosh sneered.

"I beg your pardon? Topsy is not my boyfriend; number one; I still have a mate; and number two; me and Topsy are both males; number three; we don't like each other like that; he's just my best friend; and the one thing you must **NEVER** do is call me Kenny; I prefer to be called Kenneth; not even my mom had permission to call me Kenny," Grandpa snarled.

Kosh walked off after that rant. Grandpa chuckled; he felt great after sticking up for a good friend.

"Thanks for sticking up for me," Topsy said.

"It's no problem; Kosh is just an insensitive jerk," Grandpa claimed.

Topsy chuckled when he heard that.


	12. Chapter 12

Maya and Zack's kids have now reached the pre-adolescent stage of ten years; so have Dinah and Alfred's kids. Skye has been having trouble making friends with kids outside of her family because of her looks. However, she was still pretty to her family. One older boy has called her a freak because she has the characteristics of a threehorn, fin-neck and a flathead all rolled into one. She also finds it hard just to go to the watering hole for a drink since the older kids keep trying to drive her away; however, she was not gonna let those bullies run her life. They caught her taking a drink and started pushing her away.

"Oh; how rude!" Skye exclaimed.

A group of white female clubtails all laughed at her.

"No; what's rude is that you're here when you're not wanted; if you just looked like either of your parents or your grandmother; we'd be cool with you; but, you're a mixed breed," the leader said.

Skye looked down at the white clubtail; her nostrils were flaring up in rage just like her grandmother.

"My mother is a mixed breed; her mom's family are threehorns," Skye retorted.

"Yeah, but, she has the characteristics of a longneck; not a threehorn," the leader retorted.

"Just because I look like a mix of three breeds all rolled into one; doesn't mean I'm a freak; I don't make fun of you just because you're white; I don't like you because you're an asshole who picks on others because of their looks; it's what's inside that counts," Skye explained.

The clubtail leader laughed again; only this time, her group laughed along.

"That's something an ugly freak would say," one of them said.

"No; it's something a non-asshole would say," Skye argued.

After that encounter, Skye walked away; but, not without kicking dirt in the clubtail group's faces.

"Later, losers," Skye snorted.

The group blew raspberries in unison at Skye as she walked away. However, Skye turned her head and blew one right back at them. Once she got back to her nest, she saw both of her parents talking together.

"I don't care what those clubtails think; I'm not a freak," Skye stated.

Maya and Zack looked over at their daughter.

"What are you talking about?" Maya asked.

Skye sighed and walked up to her parents.

"I was getting a drink at the Thundering Falls today; and a group of white female clubtail sisters came by and started pushing me away; then, they started to insult me by saying that I'm a freak; I told them off by saying that true beauty is on the inside; but, they kept on insulting me," Skye explained.

"Then, what happened?" Zack asked.

"Nothing much," Skye answered.

Then, her tail started to twitch. Maya figured that Skye was hiding something.

"Nothing much, huh? Now, tell me; did you do anything to them?" Maya wondered.

"In self-defense, yes; but, they started it," Skye stated.

Maya sighed.

"What did you do to them?" Maya asked.

"I kicked dirt in their faces; then, stalked off with a later losers remark; but, that was after all the insulting they did and the fact that they were trying to get me to leave the Thundering Falls in the first place; after that, we blew raspberries at each other," Skye explained.

Maya sighed again.

"You know we taught you better than that," Maya scolded.

"But, Mom-"

"No buts; I know what those girls said hurt your feelings; but, stooping to their level really disappointed me; so, I have no choice but to punish you; that means you're to go to bed early every night for a week and think about what you've done," Maya explained.

Skye was about to protest; but, the look on her mom's face told her to reconsider.

"Yes, Mom," Skye said.

Meanwhile, Topsy was enjoying the warm weather while relaxing under a tree. His life has gotten better since no one else has died in the last few years. Moments later, he heard worried murmurs coming from Grandma and Grandpa Longneck's nest. He rushed over as fast as he could; it made him wonder what was going on. Upon reaching the nest, he saw his childhood friend Jenna lying on her side and breathing heavily. Grandma lowered herself to the ground and said nothing; the thought of losing a child felt like a sharptooth's claw ripping out her heart and stomping on it; even Grandpa was getting choked up.

"Everyone; I'm so glad you're here; as you all know that Jenna has been sick for a long time; it's only a matter of time, before she goes to the Great Beyond," Grandpa stated, with a heavy heart.

Everyone in the herd was now getting upset. Jenna had been fighting the illness for the past year; and now, she is losing. Bron looked down at his ex-wife and then over at his former in-laws.

"We'll never forget you, Jenna; your beautiful speaking voice, your wisdom that you inherited from your parents; and that you have been a dedicated herd member after all these years," Bron said, tears now streaming down his face.

Jade stood next to Bron while trying to comfort him. Shorty and Chomper were also trying to comfort him. The old longneck smiled at the comfort he was getting from his stepsons. After everyone got to say their goodbyes, Jenna drew her last breath and closed her eyes for good.


	13. Chapter 13

Jenna's death was very hard on everybody; especially her friends and family. This particular funeral will be the hardest; especially for her parents. They were expected to die before she did; but, sadly, it didn't happen like that. The herd has all gathered at the resting place of the deceased; Jenna's body was placed in a hole and was covered in leaves. Topsy decided to start by saying nice things about Jenna.

"Jenna was one of the nicest longnecks I knew; in fact, when I first met her as a six year old kid; she was the first longneck my age to be nice to me; it was weeks after my identical twin brother died; I was still very depressed about the tragedy and Jenna was sympathetic towards me; well, Jenna, I'll never forget you; thank you for being a friend," Topsy got choked up on the last part.

He stepped back and allowed someone else say a few words. Grandma lowered her head to Topsy's eye level and nuzzled him.

"That was very sweet of you to say those things, dear; Jenna would have loved to be able to hear you say that," Grandma assured him.

Topsy nodded as tears began to roll down his face. He wiped them away with his paw as more kept coming. After the funeral was done; just like with all the others, the hole was filled with dirt.

Over the next few days, Grandma and Grandpa Longneck have barely said a word; not even to each other. The death of Jenna has also hit them to a point when their appetites are almost nonexistent; one thought was on their minds; no parent should ever have to outlive their kid. Meanwhile, Bron was talking to his former brother-in-law and sister-in-law.

"Guys; Jenna's death was a terrible tragedy; your parents are taking this pretty hard; they need to know that we love them and don't want them dying of grief," Bron explained.

Emma and Ajay sighed.

"You're right; I can't say that Jenna was Dad's favorite; but, I think it's because he's had to say goodbye to an offspring as we're holding a funeral," Emma explained.

"So, it's true; Mom and Dad haven't talked to each other or to anybody that much over these last few days; and barely eaten anything," Ajay added.

Bron sighed sadly and nodded.

"Yeah; they can't even mention anything about Jenna without bursting into tears; maybe we should have someone talk to them and can empathize with them about the loss of a child; someone like..." Bron was about to suggest Sally when she came from out of nowhere.

"Sorry; I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," Sally stated.

"Sally; just the threehorn we were looking for; my parents have come to terms with Jenna's death; but, they're heartbroken; and since you know how it feels to lose a child; we thought to ask if you could talk to them and help get them out of their grief period a bit faster," Emma explained.

Sally sighed.

"I'll try; but, some fathers take longer to heal after losing a child; especially a daughter; then again; it depends on the dinosaur," Sally said.

Emma smiled down at Sally.

"Thanks, Sally; I sure hope Mom and Dad can get passed this; we can't lose them so soon after Jenna's death," Ajay claimed.

Sally smiled.

"I'd be willing to do anything for to help; we're family after all," Sally stated.

After that statement, Sally walked off in the direction to Grandma and Grandpa Longneck's nest. Meanwhile at the Thundering Falls, Skye and her sisters and cousins were talking.

"So; I hear you got into an argument with a group of clubtails a few days ago," Gina said.

"Yeah; Mom and Dad weren't pleased with me when I kicked dirt in those girls faces; but, in my defense, they started it," Skye told them.

"Yeah; but still, you stooped to their level," Tara added.

"If I didn't stick up for myself, they'd keep walking all over me," Skye argued.

"What did they do to you?" Gina wondered.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Skye asked, sarcastically.

After that remark, Skye left for the nest. Lila, Leah, Blaze and Jett glared at Gina and Tara.

"What?" Gina asked.

"You got a bad attitude," Blaze remarked before walking away.

"Yeah; quite," Jett added while following Blaze.

Lila and Leah followed the boys, leaving the other girls behind.

As the day went on, Sally managed to help get the elderly longneck couple out of their funk; she even managed to get them to eat something. As it turns out, they really needed to talk it out with someone who could empathize with them. They are now in a better mood than they were in the morning; now, the herd won't have to worry about them dying from grief.


	14. Chapter 14

Everything seemed to be getting back to normal; even though Grandma and Grandpa Longneck are cheered up somewhat; they'll never forget Jenna. They will still live on; because that's what she would have wanted. Littlefoot wandered up to them and was happy to see them talking more.

"Hey; how are you guys doing?" Littlefoot asked.

"Your mother's death is still hard for us; but, we were talking and it seems like we're turning a corner," Grandma answered.

"You had us worried there for a while; but, we're all glad that you're getting back to normal," Littlefoot admitted.

Soon enough, he nuzzled both of his grandparents.

"How's everything going with the grandkids?" Grandma asked.

Littlefoot sighed.

"Skye has been bullied pretty much nonstop because she looks like a dinosaur of three breeds mixed into one; I don't think she's a freak; come to think of it; anyone who's related to her either by marriage or blood doesn't consider her a freak; however, anyone who isn't related to her tries to make it hard for her to live; she's got so much of Cera in her; the short temper and the guts to stick up for herself; her philosophy is; don't take crap from anybody; that includes the literal meaning; not that anybody ever deliberately relieved themselves on her," Littlefoot explained.

Grandma and Grandpa sighed sadly.

"No child should ever be teased for something they can't control; especially their looks," Grandma responded.

"I agree; but, from what I heard, she was being pushed away by a group of white clubtails who are sisters; Skye stood up for herself; on the one hand, she did retaliate by kicking dirt in their faces; but, it was out of self-defense; she got punished for it," Littlefoot explained.

The elderly couple nodded.

Meanwhile, the clubtails were splashing around in the watering hole when they were confronted by Lila, Leah, Blaze and Jett.

"So; you were the brats who were picking on Skye," Lila snarled.

One of the clubtails wandered up to Lila.

"So what? She can't seem to see that she's a freak," one of the clubtails said.

"Come on, guys; these brats just don't get it; they don't care about anybody but themselves," Lila claimed.

After that remark, Lila and her group walked away from the watering hole. Upon reaching the nest, they saw Skye relaxing in her sleeping spot.

"Sorry, Skye; we tried to reason with those girls; but, they sure are stubborn," Leah admitted.

Skye looked at her cousins and sighed.

"Thanks for trying; but, it's no use; maybe I should just kill myself," Skye claimed.

"No; don't say that; you are not a freak; you're unique," Leah protested.

Skye was still depressed. She requested some time alone. The others nodded sadly and walked away.


	15. Chapter 15

After Skye checked to make sure the coast was clear, she wandered off.

"You don't have to worry about me anymore; this freak will be out of your lives for good," Skye told herself.

Since the herd was scattered about the area; Skye had to be careful about where she was going. She didn't want to get caught. After a while of running and hiding, she managed to sneak away to the Mysterious Beyond.

Meanwhile, her friends and family were looking for her. Maya and Zack were really worried and hoped she would be okay. Petrie was sent to fly around the valley to find her. He sighed and went back to the Rock Circle.

"It no good; Skye nowhere to be seen; me sorry," Petrie told them.

Maya lowered her head to look at Petrie.

"Don't blame yourself, Petrie; we'll keep searching; even if we have to send out a search party," Maya explained.

"That is right, Petrie; you are doing all you can and that is all we ask," Ducky responded.

Petrie smiled.

After a while, a search party was sent out. Maya and Zack led a few of the grown ups out of the Great Valley while some of the others kept searching in spots that they might have missed.

"I cannot believe this; where could have Skye gone?" Ducky asked.

"Me no know," Petrie answered.

Meanwhile, the search party was in the Mysterious Beyond.

"This place is so big; she could be anywhere," Maya groaned.

Zack gave her a friendly nudge on her cheek with his nose.

"Don't worry; we'll find her," Zack tried to assure her.

"You're right; but, that doen't mean I'm not gonna worry," Maya claimed.

Just then, Topsy looked down and saw some footprints. They were leading further into the Mysterious Beyond.

Meanwhile, Skye was by herself and hoped that no one will find her; she didn't want anyone to see her commit suicide. Soon enough, she found a rock with a sharp edge. After taking it in her tail, she sliced at the side of her neck. Blood began to trickle down; her vision began to go blurry; soon enough, she collapsed.


	16. Chapter 16

It was a few hours later when the group saw Skye lying down unconscious. Maya and Zack rushed over to see if she was still alive. There was dried blood on her neck; she had tried to make herself bleed to death. Soon enough, Topsy saw the blood and passed out. Zack looked Skye over while Maya rushed back and shook Topsy awake. The elderly threehorn regained consciousness and looked up at Maya.

"Don't worry about me; Skye needs you," Topsy claimed.

"Zack is seeing to her right now," Maya replied.

Soon enough, Zack already got the dry blood off of Skye's neck. Skye managed to come around and looked up at her parents.

"Thank goodness you're okay; but, you have some explaining to do," Zack scolded.

"Zack; how about we patch up her wound first; then, we punish her," Maya suggested.

Zack nodded in agreement.

Skye knew she was in for it; once everybody got to the Rock Circle, Skye's wound was taken care of. After that, Maya and Zack started to punish her.

"You nearly got yourself killed by going into the Mysterious Beyond," Zack said.

"Actually; I thought it was the fact that she cut her neck with a sharp rock that could have killed her," Topsy butted in.

"Butt out," Maya sneered.

Topsy stayed quiet after that remark; Maya did have a point; punishing Skye was hers and Zack's responsibility.

"Yeah, Dad; don't be a smartass," Cera added.

"Mother; you're not helping," Maya told her.

Cera sighed knowing that Maya was right.

After a while, Skye has been grounded to the nest. She was only allowed to leave if she had to; other than that, she had to stay. This punishment seemed to be more than fair; since, she did put herself at risk of death and made the entire herd worried sick. It would take a long time before she would regain the trust of the herd again; especially her parents.


	17. Chapter 17

Maya hated punishing any of her kids; however, it was her responsibility as a parent to correct the behavior so it won't keep happening. She and Zack were talking to Littlefoot and Cera at the Tall Trees.

"I can't believe Skye would attempt suicide; it's so sad; there's nothing wrong with her; and on top of that, Gina and Tara wouldn't stick up for her when those clubtails tried to get her away from the Thundering Falls; I know I taught her better than to be mean to people; but, she was only defending herself," Maya explained.

Just then, Cera had something to say.

"There were some things you did that your dad and I didn't like when you were a kid; but, attempting suicide wasn't one of them, thank goodness," Cera responded.

Maya nodded.

"Skye is just a kid; she has her whole life ahead of her," Zack replied.

"Not if those clubtail brats have anything to say about it; if they keep teasing her, she'll keep trying to kill herself; and what if we're not around to save her the next time?" Maya wondered.

"We can't allow that to happen; since my mother died recently, no one else should die for a long time," Littlefoot declared.

"Nobody's gonna die, Dad; me and Zack will keep an eye on Skye for a while," Maya stated.

Littlefoot smiled. He didn't want his granddaughter to kill herself due to relentless bullying.

Meanwhile, Gina and Tara were wandering around the Secret Caverns. They met up with the mean clubtails Alba, Bianca and Blanche; aka the Terror Trio.

"Well if it isn't the freak's sisters; we heard she tried to kill herself; good for her; we were about to threaten to kill her if she didn't do it herself," Bianca stated.

A sudden urge to tackle Bianca to the ground came over Gina. The urge to roar for help suddenly came over Tara. Soon enough, the herd and the clubtails' father Atticus; a brown clubtail with dark blue eyes rushed onto the scene. Soon enough, the two girls stopped fighting. The triplets looked up at their dad; his expression was unreadable to the majority of the herd; however, some of them understood that he was very angry.

"What is going on here?" Atticus demanded.

"A fight," Topsy responded.

"Shut the fu-" Atticus was interrupted when Topsy snarled at him.

"Atticus; not in front of the kids," Topsy snarled.

Just then, Atticus blew a raspberry at Topsy.

"Really mature, Atticus," Topsy retorted.

Just then, Gina spoke up.

"Bianca told me that she and Alba and Blanche were going to kill Skye if she didn't kill herself; that's why I tackled her," Gina explained.

Then, Atticus turned to look at Bianca.

"Is this true?" Atticus asked.

"So what? Skye's a freak; she can't seem to understand that freaks don't belong here," Bianca sneered.

"All three of you better straighten up; if we get exiled because of you; we'll have to go back into the Mysterious Beyond; it's a death sentence," Atticus explained, fear was evident in his voice.

"With all due respect, Dad; me and Alba were forced to take part in bullying Skye; Bianca never takes no for an answer," Blanche said.

Atticus nodded.

"No! You can't play with Skye; she's a freak who should kill herself," Bianca protested.

"Says you, Bianca; we have every right to stop hanging out with you," Alba sneered.

Bianca was about to protest when her sisters left the area. After a while, the herd split up; Atticus has severely punished Bianca; she would not be allowed to leave her nest without an escort for a long time.


	18. Chapter 18

Another five years have gone by; Skye had regained the trust of her parents and the herd within that time. She has also made two new friends; much to Bianca's annoyance. In fact, Alba had a secret; she is crushing on Skye; however, according to Bianca; such a relationship would never work; not just because they're both females; it's because Bianca hates Skye. Alba was not gonna let Bianca run her life; she was gonna tell Skye how she feels. They decided to meet in a cave near the Secret Caverns.

"Skye; I have something to tell you; this is hard," Alba said.

"Just tell me; what's the big deal?" Skye wondered.

"I like you," Alba answered.

"Big deal; I like you too," Skye responded.

Alba sighed.

"No; I mean I have a crush on you; isn't it weird?" Alba asked.

Skye nodded and smiled.

"Now I understand; it's not weird at all; I feel the same way," Skye assured her.

Just then, the two girls moved their muzzles closer to each other and shared a kiss. However, they were interrupted by Bianca. They pulled apart and glared at her.

"Well, well, well; look what we have here; wait until Dad hears about this; he's gonna flip out," Bianca sneered.

"How would you know? We never asked how he feels about same-sex couples," Alba retorted.

Bianca snarled at that comment and left.

"That shut her up," Alba said.

"For now," Skye added.

Meanwhile, Blanche was hanging out with Dana's sons Blaze and Jett.

"I can't believe this; Skye is a nice girl; and Bianca treats her like crap," Blanche said.

"We heard; it's good that you and Alba stood up to Bianca by befriending Skye; or else, she might not be here right now," Jett claimed.

Soon enough, Dana showed up to see the group talking.

"Hey boys, Blanche," Dana greeted them.

"Hi Dad," Blaze stated.

"How's life treating you, Dana?" Blanche wondered.

"Life is just meh; just barely over fifty and I feel like I'm over one hundred years old," Dana admitted.

"You're my dad's age; how could that be?" Blanche asked.

"Oh; Lacey and I have been fighting a lot lately; I heard that she was going around behind my back and going out with other guys," Dana explained.

"And she didn't have the sense to tell you herself? That's horrible, Dad," Jett said.

Dana sighed and hung his head.

"We tried to work it out; but, it seems we're growing apart; I think it would be best if we broke up," Dana said sadly.

The boys lowered their heads.

"I know this is upsetting; but, I have no choice; your mother broke the vows by cheating on me and made it worse by not telling me herself; and with my dad on his death bed; it just got a whole lot worse," Dana told them.

Blaze and Jett were really shocked; first their parents were getting divorced; now their grandfather was dying.

"What's Grandpa dying of? It can't be old age," Blaze claimed.

"Pneumonia; my mom has been looking after him; but, his body isn't responding to the treatment; his immune system is shot; he doesn't have much longer to live," Dana explained.

"How's Aunt Dinah handling it?" Blaze wondered.

"Better than your grandma," Dana claimed.

The twins nodded.

As the day went on, the herd was visiting Dante at his death bed. The seventy six year old threehorn looked to be about the age of Topsy's grandma Sally.

"Dad; we're gonna miss you," Dana stated.

"Whenever you start to miss me; just look up at the stars; that's what my own parents told me before they drew their last breath; after they said I love you for the last time," Dante explained while coughing.

Diana moved closer to her mate and nuzzled him.

"We'll never forget you," Diana said.

Dante smiled. Soon enough, he closed his eyes and drew his last breath. There was nothing but silence; everyone in the herd bowed their heads in respect for the loss of Dante. Everyone was shedding tears; especially Diana. She had lost her true love and childhood friend.


	19. Chapter 19

Dante's funeral was a truly heartbreaking moment for his closest friends and family; he would never live to see any great-grandchildren. Lacey went up to comfort Dana; but, he turned away from her while snarling. She was truly saddened by that and walked away sadly. Dana hardly ever gotten angry; if he ever loses his temper, be prepared. After the funeral was over, the herd decided it was best to leave Dana alone for the time being.

After a few hours, Alba and Skye had something to say. They all met at the Rock Circle. Luckily for them, Dana was in a better mood than he was hours ago.

"Everyone; me and Skye have something to say," Alba claimed.

The herd listened intently.

"Alba and I recently found out our feelings for each other are mutual; although, Alba was more nervous about coming out to me than I was with her," Skye said.

There was a moment of silence; then, suddenly...

"WHAT! YOU TRAITOR! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO OUR FAMILY?!" Bianca roared.

Just then, Topsy spoke up.

"Is it just me; or did I lose a good portion of hearing in my left ear from Bianca's shouting at the top of her lungs?" Topsy asked.

Everyone but Bianca laughed at that remark. She growled and left the group.

"As I was saying before being rudely interrupted by Bianca's obnoxious yelling; me and Alba would like to know what the rest of you think of us being a couple," Skye explained.

Moments later, Atticus walked up to the couple.

"Alba; don't let Bianca's opinions get to you; if being with Skye makes you happy; then, it really doesn't matter if you're both females," Atticus explained.

Alba smiled.

"Thanks, Dad," Alba stated.

Just then, Blanche walked up and stood next to Atticus.

"I agree; Skye would be a better sister than Bianca ever was; no offense; but, she's a pain in the butt," Blanche claimed.

The others agreed with what Blanche said. Soon enough, they all agreed that couples don't have to be strictly male/female; they can also be same-sex couples.


	20. Chapter 20

Ever since Alba and Skye got together, Bianca has turned into a monster. She would constantly cause trouble within the herd while trying to ruin the relationship between Alba and Skye. However, Alba and Skye weren't gonna let her ruin their relationship just because she's prejudiced against mixed breeds and gays. The couple were enjoying a nice, relaxing mud bath in a large mud pool.

"This is great; I love our alone time together," Skye stated happily.

"Me too; it's too bad that Bianca has turned to the dark side all because you're a mixed breed and both of us are lesbians," Alba added.

"Yeah; but, Bianca's negative views on this won't keep us apart; in fact, it makes me want you more," Skye said.

Soon enough, the two girls kissed. Just then, Cera came out of hiding from some bushes. The young couple jumped when the elderly threehorn cleared her throat.

"Jeez, Cera; you frightened us; we didn't even see you coming," Alba stated.

"That's 'cause I was hiding," Cera retorted.

Skye chuckled.

"Typical threehorn humor; she gets that from her dad's side of the family," Skye explained.

Alba nodded.

"So; I hear that Bianca disapproves of your relationship; but, I know you two are smart enough to not let her get to you," Cera responded.

"That's right, Grandma; with the whole herd supporting mine and Alba's relationship, Bianca has no choice but to grow up and accept it or leave; but, she's still too young and too immature to live on her own; even in the Great Valley; she's such a child," Skye explained.

Cera chuckled.

"Well; I'll let you two get back to your mud bath; see you later," Cera stated.

"Bye," Alba and Skye said in unison.

After a while, she wandered over to Dana's nest and saw him talking to Diana. Dana has just broken it off with Lacey; and he's not taking it very well.

"I'm sorry that things weren't working out with Lacey; you did your best to try and fix it; but, in the end, it's all for the best," Diana explained.

Dana sighed and nodded.

"Do you think I'll ever find another mate one day?" Dana asked.

"Anything's possible; you're still young and handsome; any girl who rejects you would be crazy," Diana said.

Dana smiled and nuzzled Diana.

Even with Diana's kind words, it would take a while before Dana gets over the divorce; and so soon after his dad died.


	21. Chapter 21

Alba is under a lot of stress due to Bianca's constant disapproval of her relationship with Skye; and Skye feels that same pressure. They have told Atticus what Bianca was doing; he was more than willing to let Alba stay with Skye if Bianca takes it too far; and Blanche also took their side. The girls were glad to have the whole herd on their side; with the exception of Bianca.

Atticus was having a meeting with Maya and Zack about the problem over at the Secret Caverns.

"So you see; Alba is getting to a point when she doesn't even want to come home; it's all because of Bianca's prejudice against gays and mixed breeds," Atticus explained.

Maya sighed.

"Are you asking us to take her in if Bianca causes harm that could possibly risk her life?" Maya wondered.

"Because if you are; I wouldn't feel right about breaking up your family," Zack added.

"Too late for that; I've had it with Bianca; her negative views on Alba and Skye's relationship is really getting under my skin; for the last few months since they've been together, Bianca has made Alba cry several times," Atticus explained.

"You still have Blanche; Alba's good sister," Maya assured him.

Atticus smiled.

"You're right; but, what am I gonna do?" Atticus wondered.

"I don't know; but, I'm sure reasoning with Bianca might work," Maya stated.

"Maybe; as much as I hate the way she's acting; I can't give up on her; she's my little girl; and a spitting image of her mother; but, with a touch of evil," Atticus responded.

Maya and Zack nodded.

"Well; I better go find Bianca and talk to her and hope she becomes nicer," Atticus said with a sigh.

Atticus left the area moments later. Maya looked over at Zack.

"Poor Atticus; being a single parent with three teenaged daughters; one evil, one gay and Blanche is the one in the middle," Zack replied.

Maya nodded.

"Makes me glad we're not prejudiced; and that Atticus isn't either," Maya added.

Soon enough, Maya and Zack nuzzled each other.


	22. Chapter 22

Meanwhile, Atticus wandered around and saw Bianca taking a drink from the watering hole at the Thundering Falls. Moments later, Bianca faced her dad; he narrowed his eyes and snarled. For the first time in her life; Bianca felt scared of her dad.

"Dad? Are you gonna kill me?" Bianca asked.

"Why would I want to do that?" Atticus sneered.

Bianca began to breathe hard. She had no idea what was going on and it was worrying her.

"Tell me; why so down on Alba and Skye? Do you want Skye for yourself?" Atticus asked.

"No way! I'm not gay; I just don't want Skye to be with Alba; this whole gay thing is unnatural," Bianca protested.

"You sound just like your mother; she knew that Alba was gay; that's why she left; it was a rotten thing for her to do; being gay might not be common; but, it's not completely unnatural; because it does happen," Atticus explained.

Bianca was at a loss for words. Atticus secretly gets enjoyment out of chewing people out whenever they're wrong.

"If this keeps up; I don't know if the herd will let you stay here any longer; if they do exile you; it won't be easy for me; no parent should ever see their child die or get exiled," Atticus added.

Bianca gulped; still speechless.

"Oh; now that I'm up in your face, you got nothing to say, huh?" Atticus added with a snarl.

Soon enough, Alba and Skye came over to see Bianca being confronted.

"Dad, back off; there's something I need to say to Bianca," Alba said.

Atticus walked over to Skye while Alba went to face Bianca.

"You are the worst sister I ever had," Alba snarled.

She and Skye walked off after that remark. Atticus sighed and walked away as well; only, he decided to go back to his nest. Soon enough, he found Blanche at the nest and munching on a tree sweet.

"Hey Blanche; Bianca has gone nuts," Atticus admitted.

"I heard; sorry to say this; but, Bianca's a bitch," Blanche stated.

Atticus chuckled.

"I agree; poor Alba and Skye; I think they make a wonderful couple," Atticus replied.

"Even if they can't have kids of their own since they're both female," Blanche claimed.

Atticus sighed. Even if one day that Alba and Skye got married and adopted some children; they wouldn't be blood-related; but, they'd still be his grandchildren. He and Blanche hoped that Bianca would accept Alba for who she is; not who she wants her to be.


	23. Chapter 23

Now that a year has gone by, Bianca's views of Alba and Skye's relationship has gotten worse. She has decided to put an end to the relationship once and for all. After living in the Mysterious Beyond for a part of her life; she knew exactly which plants were poisonous. However, she would have to think fast; the whole herd would be hot on her tail; no one trusted her at all. Her evil scheme was coming together; she would sneak off and find a poisonous plant and hide it in Skye's food.

"This will get rid of that freak; a whole bunch of these plants; no one would be the wiser; I'll just tell the herd that Skye just has a stomach virus; that way; they'll continue on and think she'll get better on her own," Bianca said and then cackled.

Meanwhile, Topsy was eavesdropping and that alerted Bianca. Then, she had a back up plan; weaken the herd's defence by trying to take out Topsy. The threehorn might be almost a hundred years old; but, he can still headbutt with such great power that would even knock down a full grown young longneck. Bianca gathered some extra plants to put in Topsy's food.

After a while, Bianca did her evil duty and made herself look like she hadn't done anything. As the day went on, things have gotten much worse. A horrified roaring sound was coming from Topsy's nest. Everyone rushed over as fast as they could. They all saw Topsy lying down and shivering and moaning. At his age and size, if he didn't get treated within a few days, he would die. Soon enough, Grandma Longneck walked over to her friend and checked him over. Cera was shocked; it has only been about a year since Dante died; she couldn't lose her dad as well. She rubbed her frill up against Littlefoot's foreleg for some comfort. Littlefoot lowered his neck and wrapped it around Cera's neck in an embrace.

"Don't worry, Cera; your dad will make it; hey, Grandma; what's the word on Topsy's condition?" Littlefoot asked.

Grandma looked up from Topsy and over at Littlefoot; the expression on her face was sad.

"He only has a week to live; that is unless we send a few people out into the Mysterious Beyond and find a rare flower; luckily; I remember how to find it; since years ago, your mother was poisoned the same way that Topsy is now," Grandma explained.

Littlefoot nodded.

"Take me with you, please! I cannot let him die like this; especially if his grandmother is still alive; she already watched a lot of family members die while she still lives on; I don't want her to go through that pain again," Cera declared.

"All right; but, we need to bring a couple of Healers with us; Dinah and Mr. Thicknose shall do nicely; we need Otto here to help make sure that Topsy is okay," Grandma said.

Cera nodded.

"What about Petrie? Me fly ahead and warn you of any dangers; and me fly back for help in case something goes wrong," Petrie declared.

"That's a good idea; good thinking, Petrie," Grandma commented.

Petrie smiled.

"I'm coming too," Littlefoot stated.

Grandma nodded.

Soon enough, Littlefoot, Cera, Grandma Longneck, Petrie, Dinah and Mr. Thicknose headed out after saying goodbye to the herd. They all hoped that Topsy would be okay. Luckily for them, Skye managed to find the poisonous plant in her tree star stash at her nest. She was still healthy; however, the news of Topsy's illness made her very worried. She hoped that he would be okay.


	24. Chapter 24

Topsy was lying down at his nest; it had only been a few hours since he was poisoned. Luckily for the herd, the illness wasn't contagious. However, he felt like he aged forty years. Otto came back around to check and see if he was okay. He muttered under his breath; just then, Topsy began thrashing around. He had lost control over his muscles due to the poison.

Otto gasped. _A seizure!_ He thought to himself.

He lowered himself to the ground and tried to hold Topsy still until the seizure passed. Otto found himself trying to keep his emotions under control; seeing Topsy in this much pain was bringing tears to his eyes. After a few moments, Topsy stopped thrashing around and was calming down. Soon enough, both males got their breathing under control. Topsy was about to say something; but, Otto shook his head.

"Save your strength; you're gonna need it," Otto told him.

Topsy nodded.

"Get off me, please; I'm okay for now," Topsy pleaded.

Otto forgot that he was holding Topsy down with his upper body. He shifted in his lying position and settled next to Topsy.

Meanwhile out in the Mysterious Beyond, Grandma was leading a small group to the cure for Topsy's illness. Petrie flew up ahead and looked around for any dangers like he had promised.

"Me no see anything yet; we fine for now," Petrie stated.

"Good; because we need to get that flower back to my dad; he's still too young to die," Cera responded.

Just then, the group came across a small lake; it was too deep for Cera, Dinah and Mr. Thicknose to walk through; they would have to swim across. Luckily for Grandma Longneck, she is an excellent swimmer for her species; and so was Littlefoot, Cera and Dinah. However, Mr. Thicknose never learned how to swim; so, he would have to be carried. Littlefoot volunteered to carry Mr. Thicknose on his back while they swim across the lake. After a while, they managed to make it across.

"Me sure hope you know shortcut back to the Great Valley; me no know if Littlefoot is able to swim while carrying Mr. Thicknose across the water," Petrie admitted.

"Don't worry; there is a shortcut; we'll make it back before the week is up," Grandma declared.

The group was happy to hear that piece of good news.

Back at the Great Valley, Grandpa Longneck has gone over to see Otto at Topsy's nest. He saw how sickly Topsy looked and shook his head. Then, he looked over at Otto.

"How are you doing?" Grandpa asked.

"That's a stupid question, Kenneth; how do you think I'm doing?" Otto snarled.

Grandpa sighed. He knew that Otto was frustrated; but realized he didn't mean to snap.

"I'm sorry; I just-"

"You don't need to explain, Otto; I understand; I'm just as worried for Topsy as you are; we've known him since he was a child; just because we're not blood related; doesn't mean we're not family; after all, family is also people you care about; and the fact that he is Littlefoot and Patty's father-in-law," Grandpa explained.

Otto nodded. He couldn't argue with him there.

"Good point; I was really scared for a bit; seizures are a symptom of the illness; and he just experienced his first one; it only lasted a few minutes; but, it felt like I was holding him down for an hour; I felt this tightness in my chest and along came some sweat on my face," Otto explained.

Grandpa sighed.

"I don't think I'm sick; it's probably from anxiety," Otto claimed.

"All right; if you do start to get sick; don't wait too long," Grandpa said.

Otto nodded.

The elderly longnecks noticed that Topsy was still breathing steadily. However, he started shivering again. Otto laid a paw on Topsy's head for a moment before pulling it back in alarm.

"High fever?" Grandpa asked.

"Yeah; higher than it was this morning; we need tree stars and lots of them; wet them in the watering hole and bring back as many as your mouth will carry and then place them on his body," Otto stated.

Grandpa nodded and did as instructed. Moments later, he placed the wet tree stars on Topsy's body, desperate to cool him down. Soon enough, the elderly longnecks silently hoped for the cure to be brought back in time; Topsy was not going to die this way.


	25. Chapter 25

Meanwhile out in the Mysterious Beyond, the bright circle was setting. It was getting late; almost time to turn in for the night.

"Me tired; wings feel too heavy for my body," Petrie stated, looking over at Littlefoot.

"Would you like me to give you a ride for a while?" Littlefoot asked.

"Me would like that, thanks," Petrie answered.

Soon enough, Petrie landed on Littlefoot's head. The group continued on their journey to find the cure to help get Topsy better. After a while, it started to get cold; a chill started going through their bodies.

"Me just hope we get cure back in time; no telling how your dad is right now; since it's cold," Petrie told Cera.

"If I know my dad; and I do, he won't let an illness get him down; it takes more than just an illness to get rid of him," Cera responded.

The others nodded in agreement.

Back in the Great Valley, Topsy was moved to a cave where it would be warmer. He already had a few more seizures in just one evening; however, his friends managed to stay calm. Otto decided to stay at the Healer Clearing just to keep an eye on the sick threehorn. This was the first case of poisoning Otto has seen since his identical twin brother Otis died of it when they were only in their teens. Only, it was worse for them; there were no plants around for medicine; and he died within a few days of being poisoned. Otto looked down at Topsy and saw that he wasn't sleeping very well.

"Please let the others get back with the cure in time; we can't afford another death," Otto whispered to himself.

Meanwhile, Grandpa was at his nest while talking with his other children Emma and Ajay.

"I can't believe this is happening; seeing Topsy that sick is truly heartbreaking; I have complete faith that your mother and some of the others will get the cure back in time," Grandpa stated.

Emma smiled.

"We do too, Dad; but, me and Ajay had no idea how much you cared about Topsy; I have to admit; even if I was mean to him in our younger years, a part of me was just jealous of him getting along so well with Jenna," Emma explained.

Ajay nodded in agreement.

"Well; it was nice talking to you, Dad; but, we gotta get some sleep," Ajay stated.

Grandpa nodded as Emma and Ajay went over to their sleeping spots. He decided to stay up a bit longer; since it would be hard for him to get to sleep when he's worried for Topsy's health.


	26. Chapter 26

No matter how late it was, the dinosaurs taking part in this mission weren't gonna let being sleepy stop them from continuing with their journey. Petrie had rested his wings enough so they have enough energy for him to fly for a while. He decided to fly at the side of Littlefoot's head.

"If we keep up this pace; we'll get to the cure before the bright circle starts rising," Grandma told them.

"That good news; now me hope we find shortcut back to Great Valley," Petrie responded.

"Don't worry; this mission won't be for nothing," Grandma assure him.

Petrie sighed and hoped the elderly female longneck was right.

After a while, they came across a meadow filled with blue flowers; the same flower that was used to cure Jenna back when she was just six years old after eating a poisonous plant.

"Grab as many of these as you can; they need to be eaten whole; and taken with water," Grandma explained.

The others nodded and did as instructed. Soon enough, they all had a bunch of flowers and headed in another direction to the Great Valley.

Meanwhile, Grandpa was still wide awake and talking to Topsy's sisters and Nigel.

"So; what exactly is going on?" Nigel asked.

"Since Otto is one of the most experienced Healers here; he has decided it was best for Topsy to stay in the Healer Clearing so Otto could keep a close eye on him; he'll survive," Grandpa answered.

"I sure hope so; we've already lost too many members of this herd; lets just hope for Sally's sake, Topsy is able to recover," Nigel added.

Grandpa nodded.

"I would go to sleep; but, there's too much on my mind right now," Grandpa admitted.

"We can't sleep either," Celine admitted.

Grandpa nodded.

Back at the Healer Clearing, Otto was checking to see if Topsy was still breathing. He sighed with relief as his chest was still rising and falling with each breath; although, some of his muscles were twitching.

 _Please don't let this be another seizure._ Otto thought to himself.

Soon enough, Otto looked down at Topsy and saw that he was shivering. Otto laid down and wrapped his tail around Topsy in an attempt to keep him warm. Then, he laid his neck down and tried to fall asleep. The next morning, the group who took off to find a cure managed to make it back just as the bright circle started rising over the Smoking Mountain. They appeared by Saurus Rock; it would only be a couple hours until they would reach their destination.

"Me so glad we all home," Petrie said.

"Yeah; well, lets get the flowers back to my dad; hopefully he's still around," Cera stated.

"Try to think positive, Cera; he'll still be alive; we've only been gone for a couple of days," Littlefoot assured her.

Soon enough, they made the two hour walk back home; they were informed that Topsy wasn't at his nest; it was just a precaution to keep him at the Healer Clearing in case something went seriously wrong. Soon enough, they all arrived at the Healer Clearing and set the flowers on the ground. After a few minutes have passed, Topsy had eaten and drank as much as he could. It was at that moment that Topsy was able to move his head. He smiled up at the herd. When he tried to sit up, Otto looked down at him and shook his head.

"You might not be at the risk of death anymore; but, you're still very weak; it'll take two weeks before you can resume your usual duties with the herd; you had a close call, there; who was it that tried to kill you anyway?" Otto wondered.

Topsy sighed.

"Bianca hid those plants in my tree stars; I didn't trust her; so, I followed her around; I knew she hated the idea of Alba and Skye being together; so, she would try to get rid of her; however, Skye was too smart; but, me; I was too stupid-"

"Wait a minute; you're not stupid; you knew Bianca was trying to get rid of Skye; but, the one thing you didn't expect was that she was gonna poison you," Cera told him.

Topsy sighed.

"Now I know which of us is getting banished," Maya said.

Since Topsy was still too weak; he stayed at the Healer Clearing. Some of the herd members stayed behind with Topsy while the others all walked away and gathered most of the herd at the Rock Circle for an emergency meeting.


	27. Chapter 27

"It has come to my attention that Bianca is indeed responsible of a very important member of this herd; what shall we do with this traitor?" Maya asked.

"Banish her!" Everyone exclaimed.

Maya nodded. She looked down at Atticus.

"Sorry Atticus; but, it's for the best," Maya told him.

Atticus sighed. He didn't want to give up on Bianca; but, he had to think about what was best for the herd.

"I understand; she did commit a crime," Atticus stated.

After a while, Bianca was chased out of the Great Valley and was told to never return; it was all thanks due to her stunt with attempting to murder by hiding poisonous plants in the tree stars of herd members who don't deserve to die. Later that night, Topsy's condition was still critical; but, he wasn't in danger of dying. He is finally able to sleep soundly; Otto kept making sure that he was breathing easily and decided to stay near him just in case his condition gets worse over the course of the night. Soon enough, Sally came by; she sighed happily since Topsy seemed to be getting better.

"Hi there, Sally; Topsy will be fine; those flowers that were brought back from the Mysterious Beyond have gotten rid of the poison that was in his body; luckily for us; the poison hadn't traveled through his blood before giving him the medicine," Otto explained.

"I'm so glad to hear that; well, the rest of the herd was in agreement that Bianca should be banished; Maya declared her banishment; she's banished for life; but, Atticus was devastated; however, it was all for the best," Sally explained.

Just then, Otto had another question.

"How are Celine's kids and Rita's kids doing these days? I haven't seen much of them in a while," Otto said.

"They're all doing fine," Sally answered.

Otto smiled.

Over the course of the night, Topsy's condition went from critical to stable. However, he was still running a high fever that has only started to decrease. He was still getting chills; but, the medicine is staying down long enough for it to work. Otto was glad that the amount of poison that Topsy ate wasn't enough to kill him right away; however, it did make him deathly sick. Things are now starting to get easier; Topsy was slowly but surely recovering from the poisoning.


	28. Chapter 28

Over the next few days, Topsy was showing some signs of improvement. Although, he was still unable to move around too much; at least on his feet. He hated being waited on paw and tail; however, he didn't have much choice as far as Otto was concerned.

"I'm bored," Topsy complained.

"Yeah; well, sleeping is a great way to kill boredom; and it'll help give you some of the energy you lost," Otto explained.

Topsy nodded.

"Have I ever told you about how I lost my identical twin brother?" Otto asked.

"I didn't even know you had a twin," Topsy admitted.

Otto sighed.

"We were only thirteen years old; Otis was wandering around and found a plant with a red berry on the stem; we didn't know it was poisonous; he ate it and got very sick; he died after a few days of eating it; there weren't a lot of plants around for medicine and there weren't a lot of experienced Healers either," Otto explained.

Topsy sighed.

"I know how you feel; when I was six, my identical twin brother drowned; I tried to save him; that, my friend is the day my dad disowned me and started treating me like crap," Topsy explained.

Otto was shocked. He was glad that both his parents treated him properly despite what happened to their other son.

"I'm sorry you had a crappy childhood; but, whatever happened to him wasn't your fault," Otto said.

"Yes it was; if I had gone to get a grown up to stick their tail in the water and pull him out; he would still be here; and my dad wouldn't hate me," Topsy stated, starting to cry.

Otto felt really bad by talking about how his brother died; since, that made Topsy talk about a sad memory from his childhood. Since Topsy is still recovering from his illness, getting all upset didn't help much; in fact, it was just making it worse. Soon enough, the two males shared an embrace before breaking apart moments later.

"I'm sorry if I upset you; it's just that; you're the first person I told about what happened to Otis; the only other people who knew about this was my parents; and they're long gone; I became orphaned at sixteen; that's when I met Edna; she was an orphan and sixteen; except that she had no siblings to begin with; she was my first best friend and only female to love me as a mate," Otto explained.

Topsy nodded through his tears.

"This is why I always wanted a big family; Edna, too; we had so much love to give," Otto added.

Topsy nodded.

As the day went on, Topsy began to feel a bit better.


	29. Chapter 29

The next day, Otto woke up and found that Topsy was still sound asleep. He reached over to touch his head again and sighed. Topsy was still running a fever; however, it has come down quite a bit since the previous day. However, Otto still couldn't help but worry about him. Moments later, Topsy woke up and looked over at Otto.

"Good morning," Topsy stated with a yawn.

"Morning? More like afternoon; you slept all the way through the morning," Otto said.

Topsy groaned in annoyance. He tried to stand up; but, his muscles were very stiff.

"I can't wait until I can move again," Topsy claimed.

"It'll take a while before you can move around; however, you still have a fever; but, it'll be gone before you get full use of your legs again," Otto explained.

Topsy smiled. He somehow knew he was getting better since he didn't get any chills throughout the night. After a while, some of the herd came by to see how Topsy was doing.

"Hi Dad; how are you feeling?" Cera asked.

"A bit better; all I have now besides the achy muscles is a low fever and stomach pain," Topsy answered.

"It's good that you're getting better," Cera stated.

"Really?" Topsy asked.

"Of course, dear; you really had us worried sick; it's a good thing you survived; we wouldn't have known what we could have done if you died," Grandma explained.

"I only survived because you risked your neck to go out and find a cure; but, I still can't believe it; even though what you did was incredibly selfless," Topsy told her.

Grandma couldn't believe that Topsy was saying that he seemed unimportant. To her; he is one of her best friends, a threehorn she has known since he was a lonely six year old kid with a few friends.

"I risked my neck out in the Mysterious Beyond so I can help save you; dying by poisoning is not a nice way to go; dying in your sleep amongst the people you love is better; since it's a peaceful and painless death; you mean a lot to this herd; and you still have a family who loves you; think about your grandmother; if you died; she would probably have died of a broken heart," Grandma explained.

Topsy sighed and nodded.

"Thanks for saving my life; I also like to give my thanks to Littlefoot, Cera, Dinah, Petrie, Mr. Thicknose, Otto and Kenneth; without you guys; I wouldn't be here right now," Topsy said.

Just then, Grandpa smiled down at Topsy.

"We couldn't let you die like that without trying to save you first; by the way, Otto did more for you than I did; all I did was gather the wet tree stars and placed them on your body; on Otto's orders," Grandpa explained.

"I count that as being helpful," Topsy told him.

Grandpa nodded.

Topsy was hoping that the next week and a half would go by fast. Once the evening rolled around, Otto told Topsy that his fever was finally gone. That made the threehorn feel much happier; however, he would still have to take it easy. He even felt hungry enough to eat some tree stars. Otto had gathered some tree stars and set them at his paws. Topsy started eating the small pile one by one; he didn't want to irritate his stomach by eating too much and too fast. Even though it has been a while since he had something to eat besides the healing flowers that were brought to him.


	30. Chapter 30

The next week and a half went by faster than Topsy once thought. He was completely back to normal and got back to his usual routine by helping run the valley. He no longer had to stay on the sidelines and feel helpless. His mood is also a lot brighter; and he had his friends and family to thank for that. They were all hanging out at the Thundering Falls.

"I'm so glad everything is back to normal; and that Bianca's stunt didn't go unpunished," Topsy claimed.

"We're glad you think so, Dad," Cera told him.

Just then, Alba and Skye walked up to Topsy.

"Do you hate me for what Bianca did to you?" Alba wondered.

"Why would I hate you? It was Bianca who attempted to kill me; you had nothing to do with it," Topsy answered.

Alba smiled.

"See, I told you; there's nothing for you to worry about," Skye responded.

Alba smiled up at her girlfriend and then nuzzled her.

"How's Atticus taking it, Bianca's banishment I mean," Topsy wondered.

"How would you feel if one of your kids committed a crime and got banished?" Skye asked.

Topsy thought about it and sighed.

"He must really be bummed about it," Topsy claimed.

"Yep; on the bright side, at least you're all better," Skye commented.

Topsy smiled at his great-granddaughter's comment; and for the first time in years, he wagged his tail.

"That is the weirdest thing I ever seen; I thought only kids wagged their tails," Alba stated.

"I guess you can say that I'm a kid at heart," Topsy commented.

The herd nodded in agreement.

A while later, Blanche went to visit Atticus at his nest. She hated seeing him look so down.

"Hi Dad; I know that deep down, you miss Bianca; but, banishing her was the right thing to do; attempted murder is serious; however, we all neglected to tell her that the penalty for returning while banished for life is death," Blanche explained.

Atticus sighed; he has barely said a word; however, he still listened to what Blanche was telling him.

"Well; just know that you have memories of Bianca when we were all little kids and with Mom before we became teenagers," Blanche added.

Atticus seemed very annoyed whenever the subject of his ex-wife was brought up in conversation.

"Don't ever talk about her like that; I don't ever want to talk about or even see her again; it's been a year since she was last seen; and I'd like to keep it that way, understand?" Atticus asked.

Blanche was shocked; Atticus wasn't usually the one who loses his temper. Whenever he's about to blow his top, run for the hills because no one wants to see him when he's angry; not even Topsy. Moments later, Atticus felt a bit calmer.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper; but, that's what happens when people start talking about things I don't want to hear about; and I'm still upset that Bianca was banished; even though she was evil," Atticus explained.

Blanche nodded.

"I understand, Dad," Blanche stated.

Atticus smiled for the first time in days. Things were truly back to normal.

 **A/N: This is the last chapter of part 3. Part 4 will be up soon.**


End file.
